Selected quad for the lemma: word_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	file_n	left_a	rank_n	4,923	5	11.5993	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13315	The A, B, C, of armes, or, An introduction directorie whereby the order of militarie exercises may easily bee vnderstood, and readily practised, where, when, and howsoeuer occasion is offered / by I.T. ...	I. T.	1616 (1616)	STC 23623; ESTC S1392	11,660	46

A perfect File is a sequence of men standing one behinde another backe to belly and subsisting commonly of ten in depth according to the moderne vse of the Warres of the Netherlands it was by the Romans termed Series Ordinatio Decurio it consisteth of Leaders Followers wherein the Decurio Tergi ductor amongst the Latines but in our drilling the Leader Middle-men and Bringer vp are principally to be regarded The Middle-man is either the fifth or sixth man vncertaine which before the motion bee commanded vt postea A perfect Ranke is a stand or row of men placed powldron to powldron their faces being directed al one way which by the Romanes was stiled Ordo But when it is the first ranke composed of Leaders of many Files it was by them termed Frōs Acies but now vsually the Front Van or Voward A Battalio is the connexion of many Files together whereof the first Ranke is termed the Front the right side the right hand Flanke the left side the left hand Flanke the last ranke in depth the Reare the fifth and sixth Rankes Middle-men and all the remainder Side-men so that where the faces are directed one way stands the Front the Reare is where the backs are turned the two outmost Files the right and left Flankes In a Battalio likewise you must obserue that from the Leader to the Bringer vp the whole distance betweene is called the breadth and Depth of Ranke and File It is requisite that in your martch and stand you regard your Leader and Side-men such as in Ranke shall be placed on your right left hands so that alwaies in File and Ranke you may bee found in the same Distance wherein you are commanded It is to be obserued that by these wordes as you were it is intended to reduce the Souldier to the same place of order wherin he stood before It is likewise to bee remembred that when you double your Files to any hand by doubling your Rankes to the contrary hand they are as they were and so of Rankes vt supra It is further to be remembred that in chargeing with Pikes only the first fiue Ranks doe charge for the length of the longest Pike being but eighteene foot long the Pikes of the first Ranke can but reach ouer the shoulders of the Front so that if they should bee driuen to Retreat all the Rankes chargeing the Subdiuision which are the fiue Rankes on the Reare rather hinder and hurt their Leaders then doe any seruice It is therefore conuenient that the subdiuision hold their Pikes ported or aduanced for then they are readie vpon all occasions to charge without any difficultie or preiudice to their fellowes for it is to be vnderstood that the most exquisite Captains do hold in these dayes what Caesar in his time practised which is to martiall the Companies in square manuples of hundreds especially Pikes so that neuer or very seldome they file their men but ten in depth If any shall question why in this A B C I set downe postures onely for two weapons let him bee pleased to receiue this for satisfaction all short weapons as Targateers Bill-men or Holbardeers are in these times meerely out of vse and Archerie is so much controuerted by different opinions whether seruiceable or not necessarie for vse and is so strongly and strangely opposed and so weakely waueringly defended That were it not for those two euer memorable victories next vnder God won by them I meane Cressy and Agincourt It would grow questionable whether euer it were in vse amongst Englishmen But leauing that question vndecided I onely affirme as in all other things so in warre there is a vicissitude of weapons whereof I may truly say as one of words Multa renascuntur quaeiam cecidere cadentque quae nunc sunt in honore many weapons and instruments of war which were heretofore much praised and practised are by change of times and benefit of fresher inuention either cast cleane out of doores or at least permitted to hang in houses like monumenta adorandae rubiginis retayning the bare name of furnitures without praise or practice And for your bare Pike and Harcubuz or small shot they are included in the tractate of Pike and Musket and excepting the vse or practice of the Musket rest the Harcubuz and Musket haue one and the same Postures and frustra fit per plura quod fieripossit per pauciora Amphora cepi Institui currente rota nunc vrceus exit Opus vsus my more then ordinary visiters knock at my study-dore and cōmand me and the rather since in this vngratefull age and amongst thanklesse Plebeians all paines in this kind merit but mocks to attend profit priuate not publike more magistrorum Therefore what I begun with iumps and by fits I end with c. c. Lingua in Consilio valet in Certamine dextra Ad Lectores prorsus indignos THere are some whom Nature begun but neuer finisht whose heatlesse and heartlesse trunkes like ouer-growne Thistles in a fertile soyle heaue vp their vnprofitable heads aboue the reach of better deseruing persons and like Dogs in mangers neither doe nor suffer to be done But squaring all other mens indeuours by the crooked leuell of their pseudopoliticall conceits condemne what is most commendable in others yet neither doe nor say any thing themselues worthy cōmenditions These Gallinaceus mushrumps qui fungino genere se totum caput tegunt all head and no heart lye snarling at Souldiers and the profession militarie and not hauing grace enough to make a prologue to a reasonable breake-fast nor heart enough to oppose a Ginny-Hen if her feathers ruffle doe most of all being sensible in nothing but blowes traduce as vnchyistiā the practice of militarie discipline and terme the Professors thereof bloudie and barbarous such pusillanimous Plebeians I bar by mayne procul hinc procul ite profani Yet if any such meticulous Buffone chance to besmeare my well intended preuention of idlenesse with the slime of his calumny let him be assured that I rather pitty his want of wit then feare his will or skill in rayling or reasoning against the man or the matter quod decuit tantos cur mihi turpe putem c. I know the force of his circumstances can neuer infer the conclusion hee will labour for but as he begins with A. he will get but the addition of double S. and so I leaue him and rest A Friend to the Friend of a Souldier I. T.